BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY CONDUCTS ELECTION OF STATE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR U.S. HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY COUNCIL

Enclosed (See above links) for your reference is a copy of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) State Council Member Election Ballot for your state.

Members of the cultivated blueberry industry in the state of Michigan are being asked to select representatives to fill the state council member and alternate position of the Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information Order (U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council). As you will note, space is also made available on the ballot for write-in candidates. Eligible voters are those who produced 2,000 pounds or more of cultivated blueberries in the

United States

during the period of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009.

Voting begins April 26, 2010 and continues for a 36-day period ending on June 1, 2010. All completed ballots must arrive at the USHBC office by close of business on June 1, 2010. Please contact the USHBC office at (916) 983-0111 with any questions you may have concerning this election procedure. Those elected to state council member positions will serve a three-year term starting in 2011 and are allowed to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Please note that USHBC programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. It is USHBC policy that membership on the Council and its committees reflect the diversity of individuals served by its programs. To accomplish this objective, the USHBC will strive to attain representation of growers and other industry participants from diverse backgrounds on the Council and USHBC committees. To this end, the USHBC strongly encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to seek nominations to the USHBC and to participate in Council and USHBC committee activities.

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The North American Blueberry Council (NABC) submitted a proposal for a national promotion program for blueberries (the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council) on December 2, 1998. The program is implemented under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. The final rule implementing the order was published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2000.

Before the program could be implemented, it had to be approved by producers and importers. Approval was determined by a majority of producers and importers voting for approval who also represented a majority of the volume of blueberries represented in the referendum.

In order to be eligible to vote, a producer or importer must have produced or imported 2,000 pounds or more of cultivated blueberries during the period from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999 (representative period). The referendum was conducted by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service from March 13 through April 14, 2000.

Results of this referendum, announced on July 13, 2000, showed that 67.8 percent of those who voted favored implementation of the Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information Order. Those who voted in favor represented 73.2 percent of the volume of cultivated blueberries represented in the referendum.

As required under the Order, a continuance referendum is conducted every five years to ascertain whether continuance of the Order is favored by producers and importers of blueberries. A referendum was conducted by mail from August 1 to August 22, 2006 with 86.9 percent of those who voted favoring continuation of the order. Those voting in favor represented 93.9 percent of the volume of cultivated blueberries represented in the referendum. Based on these results, the order will continue. In accordance with the provisions of the Order, blueberry producers and importers will be provided another opportunity to participate in a continuance referendum in the year 2011.

The Order authorizes a fixed assessment to be paid by producers (collected by handlers) and importers (collected by the U.S. Customs Service) at a current rate of $12 per ton. Assessments are used to pay for: promotion, research, and information projects; administration, maintenance, and functioning of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC); and expenses incurred by the Secretary of Agriculture in implementing and administering the Order, including referendum costs.

The current fourteen member U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) administers the program under the supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture. The USHBC is represented by one member and alternate from each of the following regions:

There is also one member and alternate from each of the top six blueberry producing states. For the current nomination and election period, state representatives are to be elected from Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia and Washington. One importer and alternate, one exporter and alternate, one first handler and alternate, and one public member and alternate also serve on the USHBC. Producers are nominated directly by state commissions or producers. All other members are nominated by the USHBC.

The duties of the USHBC include the following: develop annual budgets; appoint members of the USHBC to serve on committees; develop and evaluate projects of promotion, research, and information, and pay the costs of such projects; collect assessments; receive, investigate, and report to the Secretary complaints of violations of the Order; recommend amendments to the Order; employ a staff to administer the program; prepare and submit to the Secretary financial reports; and cause the books of the USHBC to be audited. The Secretary oversees the activities of the USHBC. In addition, the USHBC recommends to the Secretary regulations to carry out the terms of the Order.

Every five years, the Secretary of Agriculture will hold a referendum to determine whether producers and importers of cultivated blueberries favor the continuation of the Order. The Order will continue if it is favored by a majority of producers and importers voting for approval who also represent a majority of the volume of blueberries represented in the referendum. In addition, the Secretary may hold a referendum at any time after the effective date of the program.

Additional referenda may be requested by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council or 10 percent of all cultivated blueberry producers and importers.

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CULTIVATED BLUEBERRY PROMOTION, RESEARCH and INFORMATION ORDER COUNCIL MEMBER BALLOT INSTRUCTIONS

The nominees listed on the enclosed ballot are seeking council member positions with the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). Cultivated (highbush) blueberry growers in Michigan are asked to cast their vote for the one candidate they wish to represent their state. For your reference and assistance in selecting your representative, background statements from the candidates were requested and are included with this packet.

General information concerning this election and instructions for completing the ballot follow:

The voting period for state producer member positions on the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) will run from April 26, 2010 to June 1, 2010. In order to be counted, ballots must be received by the USHBC no later than close of business on Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

Each person (as defined below) who produced 2,000 pounds or more of cultivated blueberries during the period of January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 is eligible to vote in this USHBC Member election.

A. A person means any individual, group of individuals, partnership, corporation, association, cooperative, or any other legal entity.

1. Partnership includes, but is not limited to: (a) a husband and wife who have title to, or leasehold interest in, a blueberry farm as tenants in common, joint tenants, tenants by the entirety, or, under community property laws, as community property, and (b) joint ventures wherein one or more parties to the agreement, informal or otherwise, contributed land and others contributed capital, labor, management, or other services, or any variation of such contributions by two or more parties.

B. Eligible producer means any person who produced 2,000 pounds or more of blueberries (cultivated) in the United States during the representative period who: (a) Owns, or shares the ownership and risk of loss of, the crop; (b) Rents blueberry production facilities and equipment resulting in the ownership of all or a portion of the blueberries produced; (c) Owns blueberry production facilities and equipment but does not manage them and, as compensation, obtains the ownership of a portion of the blueberries produced; or (d) Is a party in a landlord-tenant relationship or a divided ownership arrangement involving totally independent entities cooperating only to produce blueberries who share the risk of loss and receive a share of the blueberries produced. No other acquisition of legal title to blueberries shall be deemed to result in persons becoming eligible producers.

C. Blueberries means only cultivated blueberries grown in the United States of the genus Vaccinium Corymbosum and Ashei, including the northern highbush, southern highbush, and rabbit eye varieties and excluding the lowbush (native) blueberry Vaccinium Angustifolium.

USHBC members and alternates will serve for a term of three years starting in January 2011 and will be able to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms as a member or an alternate. A USHBC member may serve as an alternate during the years the member is ineligible for a member position.

Voting for State USHBC Members

Growers from the state of Michigan are asked to cast a vote for one nominee as the state representative on the USHBC. Space is also made available on the ballot for write-in candidates for the Michigan state seat as well. As provided for in the order, which has established the US Highbush Blueberry Council, voting for nominees for the remaining five state positions, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Oregon and Washington, will be handled by their state blueberry commissions and councils. Those receiving the most votes for each state producer seat will be designated as the council member. Those receiving the second most votes for each state position will be designated as the alternate for that position. The third and fourth top vote getters will also be reported to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture as additional nominees for these positions.

Growers are asked to mark their selection of one state representative, or indicate their write-in candidate, on the official USHBC election ballot enclosed with this packet. Voter signature is also required. Once complete, the ballot is to be sent on to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) office in the self-addressed envelope provided with this ballot. In order to be counted, your ballot must arrive at the USHBC office no later than the close of business on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Faxed ballots will not be accepted.

Incomplete ballots, ballots marked with more than one candidate for each position, ballots cast for candidates outside of your state, unsigned ballots, or any ballot received after 5 pm Pacific time on June 1, 2010 will not be accepted.

If you have any questions concerning the USHBC nomination procedure or balloting process, please contact the USHBC office at (916) 983-0111.

USHBC DIVERSITY OUTREACH POLICY

The USHBC has adopted a diversity outreach plan to attempt to achieve a diverse representation on the Council. USHBC programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, genetic information, parental status and marital or family status. The USHBC fully complies with any and all applicable federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity statues, ordinances and regulations, including but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1907; and The Equal Pay Act of 1963. It is USHBC policy that membership on the Council and its committees reflect the diversity of individuals served by its programs.

To accomplish this objective, the USHBC will strive to attain representation of growers and other industry participants from diverse backgrounds on the Council and USHBC committees. To this end, the USHBC strongly encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to seek nominations to the USHBC and to participate in Council and USHBC committee activities.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a compliant of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington D.C. 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD).

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The nominees listed on this ballot are seeking the Michigan State Council Member seat on the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). As a cultivated blueberry grower in the state of Michigan you are asked to cast your vote for one Michigan state council member, or to write in the name of your choice for state representative in Section #1 of this ballot.

Please complete this ballot and mail it back to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) in the enclosed, self-addressed envelope. Ballots must be received by the USHBC no later than close of business on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Ballots received after that date will not be counted.

USHBC MEMBER BALLOT – MICHIGAN

Section #1: MICHIGAN GROWERS

Growers from the state of Michigan who are producing cultivated blueberries in the state are

Section #2 TO BE COMPLETED BY ALL GROWERS

I certify that I have produced a minimum of 2,000 pounds of cultivated blueberries at the location listed below during the twelve-month period of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009:

Once you have completed and signed this ballot please place this ballot in the enclosed, self addressed envelope and mail it to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Incomplete ballots, unsigned ballots, or ballots received after June 1, 2010 will not be counted.

If you have any questions concerning this ballot please contact the USHBC office at (916) 983-0111.

USHBC Diversity Outreach Policy

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0093. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

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I am seeking the nomination to the USHBC as the Michigan State Representative. I currently serve on the Council as the representative from the state of Michigan and serve on the Promotion Committee and also as vice-chairman. I also am active in the North American Blueberry Council and serve as secretary.

I believe that as an industry we need to continue to promote our product and that through careful oversight of the funds that we contribute we can continue to expand market opportunities for our product.

I know that the decisions we make today in research and promotion directly have an effect on the profitability and direction of the whole blueberry industry in the years to come. My name is George Fritz Jr; I am forty nine years old and have been farming blueberries in Southwest Michigan my whole life. After graduating from High School in 1978 I studied agriculture at Michigan State University for two years.

My dad planted his first five acres of blueberries in the mid 1950’s and since then our family has grown the farm to over three hundred acres today. Our business is centered on fresh blueberry production with a small percentage going to the process and frozen industry. In the past fifteen years we have expanded our harvest from not only our home farm but to Holland and Grand Haven areas where we custom pack fruit for a number of growers and also to the west coast where we are involved in partnerships in Northern Oregon and Southern Washington.

Along with farming blueberries I have spent the last twenty three years serving on our town’s local school board where I held the President’s position for the last fourteen years. I have also been highly active in my family’s church where I have served as a deacon and have been leading in the local youth ministry programs.

It would be an honor to work with growers from all over the country on the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and to help in leading the industry in the 21^st Century.

Our family farm has been with the Michigan Blueberry Association since 1981. Since my wife and I have taken over the Family Farm, we have doubled the farms existing plants output in Blueberries. We have also planted an additional 14 acres dedicated to fresh. Our original farm has been in the family since 1915 with our first blueberries being planted prior to WWII. We have a long history in the West Michigan area, and we are investing additional resources into the blueberry crop. I have a Bachelors and Masters from Emby-Riddle Aeronautical University and my wife Janet has a Bachelors and Masters from Michigan State University.

We have been a member of USHBC since its inception. The challenges we have are many but they are not insurmountable and I feel with the right leadership we can expand existing markets and create new demand in undeveloped or underdeveloped markets. Now more than ever, as the production grows, so to, is the need for expanding markets. Now is the time for the consumption of Blueberries to explode. The North American market should be consuming more of the healthy safe fruit we produce. This is America, we should be the strongest healthiest nation in the world, and blueberries should have a major role in leading us to a better more full-filling life.